Sea up to 4C warmer in marine heatwave off East coast

The sea off the coast of East Anglia is experiencing category two marine heatwave conditions, the Met Office said.

The third heatwave of the year has hit the area, including the coast off Norfolk, Suffolk and Lincolnshire, with temperatures expected to rise to more than 30C by midweek.

Category two indicates marine temperatures are typically 1.5C to 4C above normal, the Met Office added.

Prof John Pinnegar, a principal scientist and lead adviser at Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, said that marine heatwaves had "significant impacts on ecosystems and wildlife".

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He added that extended periods of unusually warm sea temperatures can cause mass mortality events for some marine species and alter the distribution of commercially-important fish and shellfish.

The Met Office added the current heatwave is not likely to be as extreme as the one in late June – when temperatures peaked at 37.7C – but it is going to last longer.

Dr Ségolène Berthou, an air-sea interaction specialist at the Met Office, said: "Marine heatwaves around the UK have developed rapidly following the recent heat dome, and we are now seeing widespread strong to locally severe conditions.

"This is the third and most intense marine heatwave we have seen this year."

Clare Brook, the CEO of ocean conservation charity Blue Marine Foundation, said by the end of June parts of UK waters were up to 5°C warmer than usual.

She said this can lead to fish moving into new areas and food chains.

Brook said: "The ocean is our best climate ally. Without the ocean, the earth would be 36 degrees hotter. Humanity wouldn't be possible.

"It's the world's largest carbon sink, it absorbs almost half of the carbon we produce and it provides over half of the planet's oxygen, but the ocean can only provide these vital functions if it's full of life."

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